A TRIBUTE TO MY GRANDMOTHER LAVON BROWN

[D. MARQUIS]

I REALLY WANTED TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS ABOUT MY GRANDMOTHER LAVON BROWN WHO I THINK ABOUT DAILY SINCE HER PASSING TWO YEARS AGO. THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS WITH A SMILE-NOT DUE TO SADNESS. I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR THE INFINITE NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH HER THROUGH THE YEARS-AND THE WISDOM SHE PASSED DOWN.I CERTAINLY MISS HER DEARLY. EVEN FROM AN EARLY AGE MS. LAVON WAS ALWAYS A VERY VIBRANT AND CONFIDENT YOUNG LADY. SHE WOULD LATER CATCH THE EYE OF ONE OF TWO BROTHERS (JOE AND JIMMY), AND JIMMY(SEATED ON THE RIGHT)AND LAVON WOULD EVENTUALLY MARRY AND START A FAMILY.

MY UNCLE PERRY WOULD COME FIRST FOLLOWED BY MY UNCLE DEWANE-FOLLOWED BY THEIR 3 DAUGHTERS DEBORAH(MY MOM), MY AUNT ROSALIND, AND MY AUNT DENISE RESPECTIVELY.

THEY ENJOYED MANY WONDERFUL YEARS TOGETHER RAISING THEIR 5 CHILDREN. ONE THING I LOVED ABOUT MY GRANDPARENTS WAS THAT THEY NEVER FAKED A SMILE OR LAUGH.

THEY ALSO GOT TO ENJOY SOME GRANDBABIES AS WE CAME ALONG. MY COUSINS AND I CREATED SOME AMAZING MEMORIES IN THE HOUSE OUR GRANDPARENTS RAISED THEIR CHILDREN IN.




GRANDPA JIMMY WOULD LEAVE OR YOUNG LIVES EARLY (REST IN PEACE GRANDPA)-BUT ALONG WITH OUR PARENTS GUIDANCE-GRANDMA'S LOVE AND WISDOM ENSURED THAT WE WOULD GROW INTO BECOMING-MORE THAN DECENT YOUNG MEN.
DURING THE HOLIDAYS MY COUSINS AND I WOULD PUT IT DOWN "NEW EDITION STYLE" IN FRONT OF GRANDMA AND THE WHOLE FAMILY WITH REHEARSED PERFORMANCES.
BOYS TO MEN (GRANDMA'S LIVING ROOM WAS ALWAYS OUR SPOT-AS YOU CAN SEE)

I REALLY CHERISH THESE MEMORIES WITH MY FAMILY THAT WENT DOWN IN THIS LIVING/DINING ROOM OVER THE YEARS-I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WE DANCED IN THAT LIVING ROOM. THIS WAS THE ROOM WHERE MY UNCLE PERRY WOULD HONE HIS
DANCING SKILLS-THAT WOULD PUT HIM ON "SOUL TRAIN",WHERE MY MOM AND MY AUNTS WOULD PLAY THEIR AMAZING RECORD COLLECTION ON RECORD PLAYERS THAT WERE SPINNING ANYTIME THEY WERE HOME, FONDEST MEMORY OF MY GRANDFATHER WAS HIM LEAPING ON THE COFFEE TABLE ONE THANKSGIVING AND DANCING A JIG-JUST LIKE "GEORGE JEFFERSON" WOULD.I CHEERED FOR HIM LIKE I WAS FRONT ROW AT A CONCERT-BECAUSE I WAS. EVEN LAVON HERSELF WOULDN'T TURN DOWN TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO TURN UP AT HOME.



I SPENT LOTS OF TIME IN GRANDMA'S KITCHEN OVER THE YEARS- SHE TAUGHT ME QUITE A FEW DISHES INCLUDING COACHING ME THROUGH AN ENTIRE THANKSGIVING DINNER ONE YEAR.AS I GOT BETTER, I MADE THIS APPLE-PEACH COBBLER (MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER'S (LAVON'S MOTHER'S RECIPE)TAUGHT TO ME BY MY UNCLE DEWANE. IT WAS THE PERFECT DESSERT FOR HER BIRTHDAY ONE YEAR-WITH A CUSTOMIZED TOUCH.

AGAIN, SO MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES IN GRANDMA'S KITCHEN-HERE WE HAVE MY MOM, MY AUNTS, AND MY COUSINS-SHOWING OFF THOSE GREAT BROWN GENETICS. SAY CHEESE!

I THINK I MISS HER BACKYARD THE MOST. I SAW IT EVOLVE OVER THE YEARS AS WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID PLAYING IN THAT YARD-IT WAS JUST DIRT AND A FENCE. ONCE IT BECAME WHAT YOU SEE IN THE PHOTOS BELOW- YOU COULD FIND HER BACK THERE OFTEN WHEN SHE WAS HOME. WE'D HAVE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALL KINDS OF STUFF. ONE THING WAS GUARANTEED: VISITORS WERE COMING. THERE WAS ALWAYS SOMEONE CHECKING ON MS. BROWN. EVERYBODY IN WHAT SEEMED LIKE A 100 MILE RADIUS KNEW WHO SHE WAS. IT WAS ALWAYS LIKE THAT. IF YOU WANT TO SEE FOLKS YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IN AWHILE, SOMEHOW THEY'D MAGICALLY APPEAR DURING MY VISITS WITH GRANDMA-AND ESPECIALLY IN HER BACKYARD.




MANY OR MOST OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS ARE GIFTED CREATIVELY STARTING FROM MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER (LAVON'S MOTHER) FLORENCE WILLIAMS-WHO WAS A FORMALLY TRAINED ARTIST AND SCULPTRESS.

STATUES AND BUSTS LIKE THESE BELOW WERE COMMON AROUND MY GREAT-GRANDPARENT'S HOME. THERE WERE BUSTS THAT DISTINCTLY STAND OUT IN MY MIND-AND ONE BEING BOOKER T WASHINGTON- IN ALL BLACK. I BELIEVE SHE DID A BUST OF GHANDI AS WELL.
EVERY PAINTING IN THE HOME WAS DONE BY HER-AS MY VERY YOUNG "VIRGO-EYES" NOTED THE FLORENCE WILLIAMS SIGNATURE IN THE LOWER RIGHT ON THE PAINTINGS.HER PAINTINGS TO ME WERE QUITE FRIGHTENING WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG-AS MANY OF THE SUBJECTS SHE PAINTED WERE NUDE-OR WITH LITTLE CLOTHING-AROUND LOTS OF PALM TREES....DOWN THE ENTIRE HALLWAY TO GET TO THE BATHROOM!-SO WHEN I GREW AND STARTED DOWN MY "ART PATH" I LEARNED THAT MY GREAT-GRANDMOTHER WAS HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY THE POST-IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER PAUL GAUGUIN. ONLY THEN DID THE HIGHLY DETAILED AND BEAUTIFUL PAINTINGS CREATED BY MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER-THAT I DEEMED SCARY AS A YOUNG CHILD-NOW MADE PERFECT SENSE.

LAVON HERSELF WAS QUITE GIFTED HERSELF WITH AN IMPECCABLE EYE FOR DETAIL AND ILLUSTRATED THIS CHEETAH IMMEDIATELY AFTER GIVING HER A PROFESSIONAL PEN SET - SHE WAS IN HER LATE 70'S AT THE TIME!CHECK OUT THAT GORGEOUS SIGNATURE.-

MY UNCLE DEWANE BROWN IS A SELF TAUGHT PAINTER- I WAS ABLE TO IMPLEMENT HIS DESIGN ON TO A PAIR OF KEDS...AND IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW-IN THE ART VIBE, HE GOES BY VANGETO

LAVON WAS A FAVORITE INSPIRATION IN THIS PARTICULAR PHASE OR SERIES WHICH WE CALLED "CLASSY DIVA" -(I'LL BEING DOING A PIECE ON VANGETO ARTWORKS-COMING SOON)

I REMEMBER SEEING BEAUTIFUL ABSTRACT PAINTINGS DONE BY MY AUNT ROSALIND IN HER HOME SINCE AN EARLY AGE- SHE WAS A HUGE INFLUENCE ON MY DEVELOPMENT (THANK YOU AUNT ROZZIE!) HERE SHE PERFECTLY PAINTS AND CAPTURES THE BEAUTY AND INNOCENT STYLE OF HER THEN 5YRS. OLD MOTHER LAVON BROWN.

I CHOSE TO IMMORTALIZE MY GRANDMA ON WOOD.WITH ACRYLIC PAINT FOR THE DETAILS-WHILE LEAVING THE EXPOSED WOOD AS HER SKIN.AN ACRYLIC SPRAY COATING FINISHES THE PIECE AND DEEPENS THE SKIN TONE.



AS YOU CAN SEE- WE DON'T PLAY. YOU CAN SEE MORE OF MY WORKS ON WOOD HERE YOU CAN SEE ALL OF MY PRODUCTS AT THE SHOP
SO TO CLOSE- I'LL JUST SAY THAT MY GRANDMOTHER LAVON BROWN- HAD A WONDERFUL IMPACT ON MANY LIVES IN HER TIME- ESPECIALLY US-HER FAMILY.SHE WAS A SYMBOL OF "HOOD CLASSY"- AND BELIEVE ME I MEAN THAT IN THE HIGHEST REGARD-AS TO SAY SHE KEPT IT REAL. HER SENSE OF HUMOR I'LL MISS THE MOST-BUT LUCKILY 98% OF OUR FAMILY HAVE GREAT SENSES OF HUMOR AS WELL. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED TAKING A LIL STROLL "DOWN BROWN MEMORY LANE" WITH ME TO HONOR AND KEEP ALIVE THE MEMORY OF A WOMAN I FEEL EXTREMELY FORTUNATE TO BE A GRANDSON OF- MRS. LAVON BROWN

BE SURE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BROWN FAMILY REUNION WE HAD A COUPLE SUMMERS BACK. BE WELL EVERYONE. I LOVE YOU ALL!